Trials and Tribulations
by such a dreamer
Summary: Chapter 2 is up! Lily and James become friends, sort of, and have an important run-in with Severus.
1. Never Been Kissed

Trial and Tribulations

James Potter was in his fifth year of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and quite proud of his magical abilities. He was reasonably tall for his age, and very handsome…probably the most handsome boy in the school.

He had amazing capabilities when it came to Quidditch, and as a result he was the Gryffindor Captain. He flew with such grace, poise, style…it was unbelievable. James was also somewhat arrogant, _but_ _really_, he was working on that.

One thing that he had never told any of his friends was that he was a direct heir to Godric Gryffindor, which made him more or less of a Prince in the wizarding world. Of course, his friends knew that he came from a wealthy family, they just didn't know _how_ wealthy. Godric was very powerful, so power came to James naturally. 

But the thing is, James needed to have a permanent girlfriend by the end of his Hogwarts years. If he wanted to be in possession of the traditional Potter estate, he needed to marry by the tender age of 18. No, James wasn't happy about it. He had girls swooning at him night and day, girls falling at his feet, but he needed a real girl. One that didn't hang onto his every word and agree with whatever he had to say. Someone intelligent, that could argue with him about things. Someone that really cared about what they would do after Hogwarts. 

Right now, James was with his friends Sirius, Remus and Peter. He hadn't had a girlfriend for a long time now, and James was wallowing in his self-pity. What would his father say if he came home for Christmas without a girlfriend to speak of?

"If you're that worried about it, why don't you pick one of your plentiful fans?" Sirius looked up from his chess game with Peter. "There are enough girls waiting at your beck and call."

James sighed heavily. "I _know_ that Padfoot, but I want someone harder to get than that. A girl with a mind would be nice, unlike those blondes from Hufflepuff. I think my father has had it up to his neck with them." 

"Why the rush, anyway?" Remus said. Sirius, Remus and Peter didn't know why James needed a girlfriend so badly, and thought he was overreacting. 

"Never mind. It's nothing." James said sulkily. True, James was only in his fifth year, but he only had 2 more years, 3 at the most, until he was to be married. And if he didn't find a girl, his father would.

Just then, Lily Evans walked down from the Girl's Dormitories, and greeted them all. "Hi lads! Long time no see!"

Lily was in their year, actually, she was the only Gryffindor girl in their year…which was quite odd. Since she had no one to associate with besides James, Sirius, Remus and Peter, she tended to get along with them well. 

James and Lily weren't too close to one another, but they weren't complete strangers either. She asked cheerfully, "Up for a game of chess, James or Remus?"

Remus smiled apologetically. "Sorry, Lily, I have _got_ to finish this essay. I think I've put it off long enough."

She nodded, "That's fine. How about you, James?" 

"I don't know, Lily…" He sighed.

Sirius elaborated, "He's going through a phase. He hasn't had a girlfriend for the past couple of weeks, and I suspect he is about to drown his sorrows in butter-beer." 

Lily laughed. "Come on, James. For me? It'll cheer you up!" 

"Fine Lily, but you owe me one." He sat up in his chair.

"For what?" She said as she set up her board.

"For rescuing you from your boredom, and for having the chance to play chess with the master…" He grinned, and she rolled her eyes but couldn't help smiling.

~*~

Lily Evans was a very plain, simple kind of girl, but she was pretty, no doubt. She wasn't drop-dead-gorgeous by a long shot, but she was attractive none the less. She was blessed with thick red hair, copper and auburn all combined together, which was a stunning effect; large emerald colored eyes and thick long eyelashes. No, she wasn't beautiful…but she was Lily. 

Lily came from a family consisting of a mother, father and a sister, Petunia. Petunia hated her, and Lily was constantly telling her that the feeling was mutual. Mr. and Mrs. Evans were muggles, as was Petunia. Lily was the first witch in the Evans family in decades, and because of that, was very proud.

Even though Lily always had an awkward time at home on holidays, she loved to go home just the same. 

Which is why we now find James and Lily boarding the Hogwarts Express, and saying good-bye to Sirius, Peter and Remus.

Lily gave each of them a hug, and James shook their hands and clapped them on the back. He was still in damp spirits because he didn't have a girlfriend, and his father would certainly have something to say about it. 

"Why do you want a girlfriend so badly?" Lily asked as soon as they were settled in one of the compartments. 

"I don't know. My father wants me to have a permanent girlfriend by the time I get out of Hogwarts." 

"Yes, but you still have 2 more years." She sighed. "I get the feeling you aren't telling me the whole story."

"It doesn't matter, anyway. My father won't be happy though." James smiled sadly, as he sat back relaxed.

"Well…perhaps I could do something to help." Lily suggested.

"Like what, exactly?" He looked at her curiously.

"I could introduce you to some of the girls I know, and you could go on a couple of dates or something." She shrugged. "If you want…I'm just trying to help."

James looked thoughtful for a minute. "Could you? That would be brilliant!"

"Of course! We'll talk more about it on the way back to Hogwarts. I'm tired right now. Do you mind if I take a short nap?" She yawned and summoned a blanket from the corner cupboard of the compartment. 

"Not at all! I think I'll do the same." 

And within 15 minutes, they were both fast asleep.

~*~

"Lily, darling!" Rose Evans called out over the crowds of the train station. Mr. Evans and Petunia were at her side. 

Lily stepped off the train and waved to her parents. She waited for James to get off the train, and in the meantime her parents had run over to where they were standing. So had James' parents. 

Mr. Potter grinned when he got a good look at Lily. He winked at his son, causing him to roll his eyes. "Mum, Dad, this is my _friend_ Lily, and what are I assume to be her parents." 

Lily smiled. "Nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Potter. James, these are my parents, and this is James, Mum and Dad." 

The two pairs of parents shook hands and before long had engaged in a full-length conversation. This left James and Lily.

"They seem to be getting along well." Lily stated.

"Yes, it seems that way, doesn't it?" James smiled. Petunia had finally made her way over to where James and Lily were standing. Lily rolled her eyes as she said, "James, this is my sister, Petunia." 

Petunia smiled attractively, or what she thought to be attractively, and honestly, James was repulsed. She had to be at least 18!

"Well, we should really be going." Rose exclaimed. "Nice meeting you all!"

James and Lily hugged before the two families parted.

~*~

"James is really gorgeous!" Petunia babbled. "He is so tall and muscular!" 

"Spare me, Petunia. Stick to Vernon." Lily was ready to vomit. The thought of Petunia with someone tall, muscular and sexy, like James, was too hideous. Lily jerked out of her thoughts. _Sexy?_

~*~

Mr. Potter grinned. "Lily seems to be quite eye-catching, doesn't she James? You have good taste. She seems extremely polite, smart –"

"Dad!" James interrupted. "She isn't my girlfriend! I don't have a girlfriend!"

"We'll see about that James…I think it may be something more, soon."

"Dad!" James groaned.

"I think what your father is saying is that she seems like a very nice young lady, and he hopes that you continue your friendship with her." Mrs. Potter stated, matter-of-factly.

Mr. Potter grinned. "That's exactly it."

~*~

Before they knew it, it was time to go back to Hogwarts. Lily was actually extremely happy about it…Vernon had come over a couple of times, and each time she saw him, she felt like vomiting.

She saw James at the station, and waved him over. Once again, their parents began talking, and Petunia was drooling over James.

"How was your holiday?" James asked Lily.

She sighed. "Fine. But whenever I go home, it makes me feel awkward, you know? Because I don't really belong there anymore. If I say something, I have to explain everything about its background in detail. And there isn't anything to do there anymore, I'm too used to Hogwarts."

James nodded sympathetically. "Can't say I've ever been there, but it must be hard."

"It is. Hey, we had better get on the train, it's leaving in 7 minutes!"

Lily went over and hugged her parents good-bye. "I'll owl you when I get there."

"Good-bye Mum, Dad. I'll see you later!" James waved to his parents, as he was about to go through the barrier. 

~*~

Lily was reading her Daily Prophet, and James was going over some Quidditch plays when an announcement over the P. A System interrupted them.

"Due to technical difficulties, we will have to stop one night at Hogsmeade. Don't worry, you will still get to school on time, as today is Saturday, so you will arrive tomorrow around noon. Thank you. Financial aspects have already been taken care of; you will be staying at The Creaky Hotel. There will be 2 students to a room. Thank you."

"Wow. It must be pretty serious to stop in Hogsmeade for." James commented.

"Yes, I wonder what the problem is?"

In a short time, they had come to the Hogsmeade Station, and were being lead to the hotel. Once everybody was in the hotel, they were told to find a room to stay in. As soon as that was said, James and Lily were the only people standing in the hallway, as everyone else had run off to their rooms.

"Well, looks like we're paired up together." James smiled cheerfully.

Lily was quite apprehensive. She had not forgotten the reputation of James Potter, and if he tried anything on her, he wouldn't know what hit him.

They took the last room on the right of the hallway. There were two generous sized beds and a bathroom. 

"Looks comfy, doesn't it?" James looked around.

"You had better not tell anyone about this when we get to school, James." Lily narrowed her eyes at him.

"And why not?"

"Because, James, I haven't even had a boyfriend before, and if suddenly this got out?" She threw up her hands in the air. "I don't even want to think about it."

"You've never had a boyfriend?" James said, disbelieving her. She shook her head shyly.

"Have you ever been kissed?" James grinned.

Lily snapped, "It isn't any of your business. I'm going to get a drink downstairs."

"I'll take that as a definite 'No'." James continued grinning as he followed her out the door.

~*~

James and Lily sat in the restaurant downstairs, in a two person booth sipping on their butter-beer.

"So, still looking for a girlfriend?" Lily rose her eyebrows in question.

He sighed. "Yes. My father thought you were my girlfriend when he saw us hug at the station. Funny, isn't it?" 

Lily swallowed the lump that was quickly forming in her throat. "Quite. Hilarious actually." 

"Do you want another butter-beer?" James offered her.

She stood up abruptly, and tossed on the table a couple of coins. "No thank you, I've had quite enough for today. I'm going to bed."

She could feel James' eyes on her as she walked out of the restaurant. There was a large knot in her stomach as she walked up to their room. She peeled off her clothing and tossed on some flannel pants and a baby T-shirt. She crawled into her bed and tried to ignore that same knot in her stomach.

She was just getting to enjoy James' company, and suddenly, she didn't feel like playing Matchmaker for him.

~*~

When James walked into their room at 11:00, Lily was already asleep. She looked quite content sleeping, with her red hair spread all over her pillow. He walked over to her and brushed some out of her face. 

He also noticed the clothing she had pulled off was thrown haphazardly around her portion of the room. He folded her robes, sweater and pants, and put them neatly on a nearby chair.

He smiled to himself and pulled off his robes, and then his clothing under, revealing his boxers. He climbed into bed and fell asleep immediately.

~*~

"James! You've got to wake up! We should be having breakfast right now!" James sleepily opened his eyes to be met with emerald green ones. Lily was bent over him, showered and fully dressed. 

He sat up groggily and rubbed his eyes. Lily passed his glasses to him. "Right. I'll be ready in a couple of minutes. I'll meet you downstairs." 

Lily looked skeptically at him, and walked out the door, closing it behind her. James promptly fell back on his bed, preparing to go back to bed. He had just closed his eyes when:

"James Potter! Get off your ass, now! The train is leaving in an hour, and we still have to have breakfast!" 

He grinned. Lily was standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips. "Damn."

An hour later, they were all on the train again, clad in their traditional Hogwarts robes. 

"Remember, James, you aren't going to tell _anyone_ about us sleeping in the same room." Lily said warningly. 

"Can I tell people you haven't been kissed?" James grinned.

Lily groaned. "James! Ugh, forget it. Last time I trust you with anything."

He laughed. "I was kidding. Don't worry about it." 

"I get kind of nervous when you say that." Lily said.

"What? Don't worry about it?" James looked confused. "Why?"

"Because it makes me think I _should_ worry about it."

~*~

"James! Lily! Over here!" Sirius greeted Lily with a hug and James with a handshake. "How are you guys? Weren't you supposed to be here yesterday?" 

"Yes, except we got tied up in Hogsmeade. There was some sort of technical difficulty with the train. But don't worry, I brought tons of Dungbombs, even ones that can be transfigured into regular objects." 

Lily rolled her eyes. 

"I'll talk to you later, James. About the introductions?" She hinted.

"Oh, yes. Thanks."

Once Lily had left, Remus and Sirius began their questioning. "You stayed over in Hogsmeade? With Lily? In the same hotel? Same room? Same bed?"

James laughed. "Slow down! I'm not answering any of those questions. All I'm saying is that nothing happened. Okay?" There was a slight pause from the other boys.

"He did!" Sirius exclaimed. He and Remus high-fived each other. 

"Sirius! Remus! Nothing happened!" 

"Fine. What did your dad say about the whole girlfriend situation?" Peter asked.

"He was a bit disappointed. Probably even more disappointed that it wasn't Lily." James said evenly.

"Lily?" Sirius asked.

"Yes. My parents seem to like her. A lot. They said she was polite, well mannered and attractive. My father thinks I have good taste."

"But she isn't your girlfriend!" Remus said with confusion.

"Yes, I know that. I told my parents that, but my father refuses to give up on it."

"James, I bet this whole girlfriend thing has him worn out. Although Lily is kind of cute…" 

"_Sirius_!" 

~*~

The months passed by slowly, with Lily setting up and introducing girls to James against her own will.

He seemed to enjoy some of their company, but after a date never really stayed in touch. The summer holidays were just a couple of days away, and once again, James wasn't looking forward to going home.

"This time it's summer. What will my father say about that?" James said, as he, Sirius, Remus, Peter and Lily sat playing Exploding Snap. 

"James, just tell him you have been trying to find a girlfriend, and you haven't found anyone appropriate yet." Lily said simply.

"Yes, but time is running out…"

Exasperated, Lily brushed some hair out of her face. "Time for what? For the last time James, I can't very well help you if I don't know the whole story!"

"I know!" James was also exasperated. "When I know for sure I can tell you, I will. I promise."

"Fine." Lily mumbled. "Well, I'm not too happy about going home either. Petunia and Vernon are going to drive me insane. Especially Vernon, he is a bit _too_ friendly towards me."

The four boys looked disgusted. They knew that Vernon was Petunia's boyfriend. "That's gross, Lily." Remus said. 

"I know." 

~*~

It was around the third week into summer holidays, and that particular day, James noticed that his mother was telling the maids to put out the china for dinner. There were also five extra places at the dinner table, and he had the feeling he was missing something.

"Mum?" James walked cautiously into their kitchen.

"Yes, darling? No, no, Maria, the _cream_ linen tablecloth. Linda we need the wine glasses out!"

James looked around his busy kitchen. "Who is coming over?"

"Oh! The Evans family…I thought you knew that." His mother said as she went over a list of ingredients for dinner.

"Lily is coming over?" He sighed. "Why am I always the last one to know things around here?" 

Mrs. Potter smiled. "You're not dear, not at all. I'm sure some of the house elves don't know."

"Mum!" Mrs. Potter grinned.

"Joking dear, just joking. Joan, do we have Parmesan cheese? Do we have time to go to the super shop?" 

James rolled his eyes. "Super _market_, mum. I'll be in my room. But wait…there are only 4 people in Lily's family!"

Mrs. Potter smiled at her son. "Vernon, Petunia's boyfriend, is coming over as well. Won't that be fun?"

James grinned, a plan already in mind. "Of course. Definitely."

~*~

"I can't believe Petunia _and_ Vernon came! I thought Petunia was bad enough!" Lily complained to James, as he greeted her family at the door.

"Don't worry, we can have some fun with them later." James grinned, which caused Lily to as well.

"Your house is gigantic, James. What do your parents _do_ for a living?" Lily looked around her in awe. Right now, James was escorting them through a marble entrance room into a living room where Mr. and Mrs. Potter were waiting.

"Lily dear! How nice it is to see you again!" Mr. Potter smiled and shook her hand. Mrs. Potter gave her a very welcoming hug. The parents shook hands, and Petunia pretending to ignore James, but Lily saw the way she looked at him, _even_ with Vernon right beside her. 

After the Mr. and Mrs. Potter had gone, taking Mr. and Mrs. Evans on a tour, that left James, Lily, Petunia and Vernon. 

James shook Vernon's hand in a way of greeting, but Vernon didn't seem very pleased about it. James cleared his throat awkwardly.

"We can go up to the fifth floor, if you want. We have some games to play, like pool and chess." 

Vernon sighed with disgust. "Do you have a TV?" 

James said, "Erm…yes. It's on the second floor. If you two want to watch TV, you can find Lily and me up on the fifth floor, playing chess. Right Lily?" 

She smiled cheesily. "That's right James."

Up on the fifth floor, without the company of Petunia and Vernon, James and Lily had flung themselves on the couch, glad to be alone.

"I can't believe Vernon came! Can you stand him? I can't." Lily looked at James.

"Well, he doesn't seem like a very friendly fellow, does he?" He asked. Lily shook her head as an answer.

"But the thing is, he doesn't know that we're magical. So we can't go around pranking him with magic." Lily explained. 

"True. We'll have to do something about that." He ran a hand through his hair. "Do you want to play Quidditch instead of chess?" 

"Sure, but what if Petunia or Vernon sees us?" Lily asked, confused.

"It's charmed, so that if a muggle happens to see us, they'll think we're feeding the fish in a fish pond."

"A fish pond?" Lily laughed.

"I know it's lame. We'll have to ask my parents about going out to play."

~*~

"Lily! James! It's time for supper!" Someone called from down below, waving their arms in the air.

Panicking, Lily shouted down, "Just feeding the fish!" for fear that it was Petunia or Vernon.

James laughed. "Lily, it's my _mum_." 

She blushed. "Sorry."

"Don't be." 

They flew down to the ground, parked their brooms and walked into the elegant kitchen. Everyone began talking at once, and James offered to pour Vernon some Pumpkin Juice.

"What on earth is _Pumpkin_ _Juice_?" Vernon said with venom.

"I'm sure you'll like it, Verny." James said innocently, winking at Petunia. 

Petunia blushed and said harshly, "Just drink it Vernon." 

Parents still talking, Vernon took a sip of his juice. His nose instantly turned into a drill bit. Lily had to eat more mashed potatoes to stop herself from laughing, and kicked James from under the table. 

She hissed, "I thought I told you _not_ to use magic!" 

James smirked.

"Oh, my God!" Petunia cried in alarm. "Vernon, your n-n-nose!" 

Oblivious, Vernon whispered frantically, "Oh, shush, Petty. What are you going on about?" 

Mr. and Mrs. Potter, Mr. and Mrs. Evans, James and Lily started laughing at Vernon. 

After awhile, Mr. Potter decided to put his nose back to normal. He scolded Lily and James; "This calls for dish duty after supper, you two."

Despite their punishment, James and Lily grinned, and Mr. Potter winked at them.

~*~

Disclaimer: This is the first part of my new series. Tell me what you think, if you want me to continue it or not. I have the second part almost done, so if you want it, tell me! Rock on!


	2. A chit-chat with Snapey

Everyone was back at Hogwarts for another year of learning. For Lily, James, Sirius, Remus and Peter, it was their sixth year, a year without any major exams at the end. 

It was around a month into that particular year, and James was getting ready for a date that Lily had set him up for. 

"Black robes? Blue robes?" James cocked his head to one side, studying himself in the mirror.

"Blue, definitely. They bring out your eyes, and Mary is sure to like that." Lily stood in the doorframe of the boy's room. James grinned.

"Cheers. Your opinion means a lot." James said sarcastically.

"I know. That's why I make it my duty to tell you things like this." Lily played along. "So, where are you going tonight, Lover Boy?"

James scowled. "Some restaurant in Hogsmeade."

"That should be fun." She smiled. "Tell me how it went when you get back. I'll be in my room."

She walked out the door, and was about to close it behind her when she added:

"_Lover_ _Boy_." She laughed and ran out the door.

"Lily!" James threw a pillow at the door, but she had already left. 

~*~

James returned from his date, completely exhausted. He remembered he was supposed to go tell Lily what happened, and tiredly made his way up the stairs. 

He knocked on the door, but heard no response. He carefully opened the door, and found that Lily was asleep. Instead of leaving and telling her in the morning, he closed the door behind him and woke up Lily. 

"It was absolutely awful. She talks way to much about her hair, her clothes, what she should order…blah, blah, blah." James sat on the edge of her bed, and put his head in his hands. A very tired Lily rubbed her eyes.

"That's too bad. I guess you'll want me to find you another?" 

"I don't know. I think I've had it with your choice of girls for now. Thanks anyway. What did you do tonight?"

She shook her head in disgust. "I received an invitation to Petunia's wedding. Can you believe that?"

"She's getting married to Verny?" James made a face. "Yuck." 

She nodded. "I really don't want to go alone. It'll be really awkward. I know Petunia hates me, and Vernon is just awful."

James shrugged. "I'll go with you, if you want."

Lily was shocked, but managed, "You'd do that?"

He grinned. "Sure. You're doing me a favor, so I'll do you one. Plus, I really _would_ like to see Dear Old Verny again."

She slapped him playfully on the arm. "No more magic, especially in front of so many muggles. I mean, it _is_ their _wedding_."

"Fine. Be that way." He pouted but grinned after, and she laughed. 

~*~

"The wedding starts in 2 hours, but we should leave in around 45 minutes, alright? I'm going to go get changed, I'll be right back." Lily took off towards her dorm, leaving James in the Common Room. 

"I had better get dressed as well." He went up to his dorm, quickly got dressed into his tux and ran a hand through his hair nervously. To be perfectly honest, he didn't like formal occasions all that much, which wasn't too good when one was a Prince. Half an hour later, he heard Lily at the dormitory door. 

"You look great! Wait, I've got to fix your tie." Lily rushed towards him, leaving the door open behind her. Her hair was up half up, half down, and her emerald green dress matched her eyes perfectly.

She tightened his tie around his neck, and tied it correctly. "There, absolutely brilliant."

He sighed. This was so typical of Lily, but he didn't mind much, as _he_ sure as hell didn't know how to tie his tie. "Are we ready to go? Are we going by Floo Powder?" 

Lily smiled. "Yes, let's go. Thanks for coming with me, James, I couldn't possibly go by myself." 

"No problem. I think Vernon and I get along well, don't you?" He grinned. "We've got to go."

She giggled. "Yes. Hurry up!" 

They rushed into the Common Room and used the Floo Powder that Professor Dumbledore had supplied them with.

"Westminster Cathedral!" They shouted at the same time, and in an instant, Lily and James felt as if they were being turned upside down, until at last they landed with a large thump.

~*~

"Ouch. That smarts." Lily rubbed her elbow. She was sitting on the floor of the Cathedral, very uncomfortably.

"You'll get used to it." James said simply as he helped her up. 

"Cheers. Remember that you aren't allowed to use magic. This cathedral is full with muggles, and I don't want you doing anything to make them think else wise. And don't create a scene having to do with us. Petunia doesn't know that we're here, I wasn't even supposed to be invited."

"But you're her _sister_!" James said, appalled. 

"I know that. Erm…it's Petunia, what can I say?" Lily shrugged.

The wedding theme started, and Lily and James quietly stood at the back of the cathedral, hidden in the shadows. "Be quiet. If Petunia ever saw me here…"

"I know, Lily." James hissed. "You're making more noise than I am."

Petunia arrogantly made her way down the aisle, her nose in the air. Her stringy blonde hair was curled, but left down, and she had on a yellow tight wedding dress. 

James whispered, "Her dress makes her resemble a banana." 

Lily muffled a laugh. "Yes, it kind of does. She looks absolutely horrid in it."

They ceased their talking and watched Petunia carry herself down the aisle to stand beside a red faced Vernon. 

The Priest started, "Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today to honor the union of Vernon –"

Just then Petunia snapped her head to look at the back of the cathedral, as if she had sensed that something wasn't right. The audience started to whisper, wondering what was going on. James heard Lily whisper a barely audible "Uh oh…"

Petunia stamped her foot, interrupting the wedding ceremony. "Mother! She's ruining my _wedding_!" 

"Shit!" Lily said loudly. Everyone in the church turned to look at her, and Petunia had started to sob.

"She wasn't invited! I want nothing to do with her kind!" Petunia choked out between sobs.

Lily made an attempt to apologize, with the entire audience looking at either Lily or Petunia. "Petunia, I'm sorry, I honestly had no intentions of –"

"GET OUT!" Petunia screamed, pointing her index finger to the large mahogany doors.

Lily hung her head in shame, and James saw a few tears roll down her face. He followed her outside, with Petunia's sobs still echoing in his mind. 

~*~

After James and Lily used the fireplace to get to The Three Broomsticks, James bought Lily a butterbeer, and tried to sooth her. He was used to girls sobbing loudly and making a commotion, and attracting everyone's attention.

Lily just sipped her butterbeer and spoke in short sentences. 

James crossed his arms over his chest, and leaned back in his chair, studying Lily. "If you don't mind me saying, your sister is a complete brat."

"I don't mind you saying that at all. It's nothing to worry about, she's always like that." 

"It is like that during the holidays as well?" 

Lily nodded in response. The door to the restaurant rang, and they looked up. In a laid back manner, Severus Snape strolled over to their table. 

"How convenient, to find the both of you at once." Severus snarled. "Potter, I would watch out, if I were you."

James quickly rose to his feet. "What the _hell_ is that supposed to mean, Snape?"

Severus backed up, intimidated by James. "I have connections, Potter, and I wouldn't go around threatening someone with as much information as I have."

This time it was Lily who spoke up. "Severus, I don't need this. What the hell is going on?"

"Ah, Lily Evans…the Mudblood." Snape whispered, almost making Lily cry. "You and Potter, eh? Not a good combination."

James had had enough, and punched Severus squarely in the jaw. Snape staggered back and a hand flew to his quickly bruising jaw. 

"I think you'll regret that, Potter. And you too, Evans. Keep an eye out, the both of you…you have no idea of what's coming to you." 

James stood in front of Lily, as if protecting her from Snape's insults. "Oh? And what exactly _is_ coming to us?" 

Snape grinned an awful grin, full of hate. "We are doing everything we can to put a stop to that prophecy." And with a wave of his hand, he left.

James gulped; he didn't like where that conversation went. That prophecy wasn't supposed to be knowledgeable to the general public, even he didn't remember all that went with it. 

Lily was looking especially frightened and stepped out from behind James. "What the hell?"

James shook his head, still looking at the doors where Snape had just left. "I don't know, but I _do_ know that we had better get back to Hogwarts. You doing alright?"

Lily nodded. "I just want to go to bed."

~*~

Christmas was rapidly approaching, but nothing significant had happened since the Snape incident. Lily was staying over the Christmas holidays, as she felt ashamed to even _think_ of going home. Remus was staying, Peter and Sirius were leaving and James was undecided.

James had been doing a lot of thinking over the past months, something was connecting him, Lily and Snape, but he didn't know what. James was thinking about staying these holidays, just to be with Lily. She hadn't been the same since Petunia's wedding and their little chat with Snape after that. 

James would catch Snape in the halls giving Lily grins that would signify he knew something that Lily didn't. And it frustrated Lily to no end, she was always figuring things out, but she was completely lost on this one. 

In the end, James did decide to stay with Lily and Remus, and everyone that was going home for the holidays was leaving that day.

"See you after the holidays, Sirius." Lily gave him a large hug.

"Later, Padfoot." Remus shook his hand and clapped him on the back, as did James. Right before Sirius was supposed to leave, James took him aside, to talk to him privately.

"Sirius, I'm worried about Lily and this whole Snape situation. I need your help when you come back. We need to find out about the prophecy he was talking about. I know its bothering Lily, she just can't seem to figure it out." 

Sirius nodded. "Right, man. I'll try to find something out. Obviously Snape is up to something." 

"Thanks, buddy." 

Sirius nodded again, and boarded the train; he could see his friends waving to him from out on the platform. James had a glint in his eyes that made Sirius truly believe he was worried, one that Sirius wouldn't tease him about.

~*~

A day before Christmas, Sirius was back at Hogwarts. Lily, James and Remus were extremely surprised to see him standing in the common room, trunk at his feet.

"Sirius!" Lily exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

He sighed. "Voldemort, he got my parents and sister."

James shook his head, unbelieving. "Oh my God…"

Lily ran to him and threw her arms around his neck. She sobbed into his shoulder, "I'm _so_ sorry."

He hugged her tightly back, and whispered, "It's okay. Thanks."

James walked over to him and gave him a hug, clapping him on the back, while Sirius blinked back tears. Remus did the same. 

Sirius choked out, "It was just…Christmas time, you know? Why now? It was supposed to be the happiest time of the year…"

Lily gave him another hug. "I know, Sirius, I know."

Remus and James took his trunk. "Let's go upstairs. Lily, you can stay in our dorm tonight, if you want."

She glanced at Sirius, heartbroken and blinking back tears. "Definitely."

~*~

"You can take my bed. I'll sleep in Peter's." James said softly. 

"Cheers." Lily said, just as softly. The entire Christmas spirit had been dampened ever since Sirius came back.

They were still trying to cheer him up, but to no avail. It was nearing midnight, and the group of four decided they had better get to bed. Lily hugged Sirius goodnight, and then Remus and then James.

She climbed into James' bed. It smelled like him, and it was very comfortable. She was drowning in his presence, and was feeling giddy, despite the misery around her.

But that soon passed, and as she pulled the covers close to her, she was again overwhelmed with the feeling of sympathy. She put her hands behind her head. The others were all in their beds, too.

She sighed, and said thoughtfully, "Merry Christmas, guys."

There was no answer except for a couple of sobs from Sirius' bed.

~*~

The next morning, Lily woke up, still aware of being in James' bed. _Unfortunately, without James,_ she thought to herself. _What the hell am I thinking?_

Someone threw the curtains of her bed back, streaming in the sunlight. James stood there, still in his pajamas. Lily moaned.

"I'm still tired, James."

James came closer to her and leaned down to whisper in her ear, "I know it's early, Lily, but Sirius wants to open presents now. Please? For Sirius?"

She looked into James' eyes, and nodded. 

__

Lily threw the covers off of her and looked at the pile of presents at the foot of her bed. It was the largest pile that she had ever received.

There were packages from Sirius, Remus, Peter and James, another from her parents, one from Vernon and Petunia, and one unsigned.

Lily had given Sirius, Remus, Peter and James presents, too. She had given Sirius more pranking supplies to use on Snape, and he smiled when he opened them. She had given Remus a set of Muggle books, most of which were her favorites. Peter had received a large amount of magical candies and some Muggle ones, and he sent Lily a thank you note. She had given James a marble magical chess set, and he was thrilled about it.

She had received a load of presents, from Sirius a thick green cloak, from Remus a crystal ball, just like in Divination, and from Peter a set of magical pencils. You could make them paint with all different mediums just by saying different incantations. 

She moved on to James' present, and was aware that the three boys were looking at her open it. James was leaning against the wall; his arms folded over his chest, and Remus and Sirius were sitting on their beds, amongst numerous shreds of wrapping paper.

His present was small, but it seemed delicate, so Lily carefully unwrapped it. After that, she took of the lid of the box and gasped.

On a silver chain there was glass lily, but the glass was misted over, with white swirls in it.

"If you hold it in your hand, the colors change." James said.

Lily threw her arms around his neck. "Thanks, James."

He helped her put it around her neck. "It looks good on you."

"Thank you, I absolutely adore it."

~*~

Lily opened all of her other presents, but left the unsigned one unopened. The wrapping was dark green, silver and purple stripes, and she left it on James' bedside table. Lily stayed in their dorm for the rest of the Christmas holidays, and tomorrow Peter and the other students would be returning.

She looked forward to the nights these days, because Lily was sleeping in James' bed, and loved being there. She would have a hard time returning to her own dorm tomorrow. 

Everyone was well asleep, or so she thought, until she heard someone come over to her bed and throw back the curtains.

"Lily?" She sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes.

"James? What do you want?" 

"Scoot over." She did so and James lay down beside her. "I'm really worried about what Severus said." 

"James, I think he just says those things to seem important. I wouldn't take him seriously." 

"Yes, but you know just as well as I do that Snape is involved with Voldemort and those kind of people. I don't think we should take him too lightly."

"You know more about Snape than I do." Lily looked over at him.

"Just be careful, that's all. Severus is up to something, I know it." 

"I will. You don't have to worry so much!" She smiled and tapped his nose. "Good night."

She rolled over and fell asleep, as she listened to James rhythmic breathing beside her. 

~*~

Severus watched James, Remus, Lily, Sirius and Peter walk down the hallway, laughing and joking with each other. Lily was smiling that radiant smile of hers, and ruffled James' hair, or tried to, since she was fairly short. James laughed and the others laughed with him. 

"Oh, please, Severus. Still pining for that Mudblood?" Lucius Malfoy strolled up behind him, causing Snape to jump. 

He shook his head. "Of course not, Lucius. Why would I want a pathetic Mudblood?" 

"_I_ don't know. But, then again, I'm not the one that is drooling over her, am I?" Lucius said coolly, tossing his pale blonde hair to the side.

Severus snorted. "I am _not_ drooling, Lucius!"

Silence followed this comment as the two of them watched Lily smile and laugh.

Lucius smiled his twisted smile, and said, "She shouldn't smile like that." 

Shocked, Severus turned to his companion and asked, "Why not?"

"She doesn't know who is falling in love with it." 

~*~

Lily sat alone in the Gryffindor Common Room. The boys were out with Remus; it was a full moon. She sat on the floor, pouring over a thick map. It was actually a chart that she had kept for Remus, she marked when he was gone for how long. She also marked when his transformation started, at what time of the day and such.

At the sound of someone coming in through the portrait, Lily quickly rolled up the map and stuffed it in her bag, which was on the table beside her.

"Lily…I need to talk to you."

Lily stood up abruptly. "Severus, you shouldn't be here. You _really_ shouldn't." 

He held out his hand. "I know…I just have to say a few things."

She crossed her arms over her chest. "I don't have a lot of time."

"Fine. Just hear me out." 

Lily looked expectantly at him.

He continued, "I'm sorry for what I said a while back."

Her eyes narrowed at him as Lily said, "What are you playing at, Severus?"

"Nothing. Honestly." He paused before continuing. "You see, Lily, I just wanted to warn you as to what could be happening in the future. I really care about you and I want nothing more than your safety. You would be so much better off with me…"

"Better off with _you_ than…_who_?" She asked, quite shocked at his confession.

"Lily, do you think I'm blind? Potter can't take care of you, he'll just end up hurting you – "

"What the _hell_? Severus, James and I are _friends_. We aren't involved…" She trailed off, fighting the urge to say that they _were_, because she wanted to be. 

"Friends, my ass, Lily! I know that you like him, more than just _friends_, as you claim!" Severus exploded, coming nearer to her.

Lily was at a loss of words for a moment. "No, absolutely _not_. I think you are sadly mistaken. Whatever you are going on about - James can't take care of me and he'll end up hurting me – is complete rubbish. We aren't even like that!"

Severus looked at her straight in the eye, longing for her. "All I'm saying is that you would be so much better off with me…you don't know what you're missing…"

Lily's gaze hardened at the pathetic Slytherin in front of her. "I think I do."

He shook his head with a sad smile. "You don't Lily, you don't."

He turned and left, looking absolutely heartbroken. 

~*~

Disclaimer: You all know how this goes. I don't own it, as much as I wish I did. 

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A/N: Awwww! Poor Snapey. Just joking. Umm…so, how did you like this chapter? I am thinking each chapter will be at least this long. Do you like it? Love it? Absolutely hate it? Eh, whatever. I'll get the next part out as soon as possible. 


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